Britain

Rocked by the Brexit vote and then the general election upset, May has at times sought to pretend she empathises with the situation facing ordinary people. The Tories have shamefacedly tried to claim to the title of ‘the party for working people’.

McDonald’s workers in Britain are set to receive their biggest pay increase in over a decade at the end of January, which will see increases of 6.7% across non-franchise stores and some workers receiving £10/hour. The decision comes in the wake of an historic strike of McDonald’s workers in September last year.

The Blairite wing of the Labour Party, having been weakened by the general election result, has been using the issue of a ‘soft Brexit’ as their main lever to organise against Corbyn. At the behest of the capitalist class they are openly collaborating with pro-EU big business MPs in all parties, including the Tory Party. If it is not countered Starmer’s announcement will be a significant victory for these pro-capitalist, neo-liberal forces.

For the first time ever, McDonald’s workers in Britain are be striking. The first day of this historic strike, on the 4th of September will see some of the worst treated, lowest paid and precarious workers taking on the notoriously anti-union McDonald’s at its restaurants in Cambridge and in Crayford, south-east London.